DISCLAIMER: I do not own Soul Eater.

A/N: The second chapter from the Soul Eater fanfic that I originally posted on Quizilla. This is also revised and edited as the first chapter was.


The Sound of a Soul

By: Mental Verin

Chapter 2

Melly woke up to a thrumming in her head, the tell-tale signs that something was in the forest. Sliding out of bed Melly quickly changed out of her clothes from the day before and into a new set before padding out of her room, quietly making her way past Jim's closed bedroom door. Be careful to skip the floor boards that creaked throughout the house, she made her way to the front door and turned the knob silently, thanking Shinigami that Jim kept all of the door hinges well oiled so they wouldn't squeak, and opened the door only enough to where she could slip out with ease.

The clearing outside of the house was empty, an early morning fog spread through the air lightly. Everything in the forest was asleep; the only noise was the sound of Melly's light breathing. She glimpsed around, the shadowy silhouettes of the surrounding trees visible through the light fog as she stepped down from the porch and onto the soft grass. The quiet continued to spread out and Melly closed her eyes to concentrate on the invisible pulse of the forest. She could feel the lingering vibrations that had woke her up but she had to focus to find the thread that would lead her to the source of the small disturbance. In her mind she saw the roots of the trees surrounding her, all connecting to each other like a single organism, and saw it. The pulse that wasn't a part of the forest glowed in her mind like a red dot on a map.

With a second though, Melly ran off into the trees, following the map in her head of the forest and where the newest member of the forest was. She hopped over roots and boulders, fallen trees and small streams in a memorized and quick path that took her towards the center of the forest, where the largest and oldest trees lived. The gold bangles on her wrists and ankles chimed in the cool morning air as the teenage witch ran with confident grace over the mossy ground.

Melly slowed down her pace to a light jog as she came to the very center of the forest where an old oak, the originating tree and oldest in the forest, was planted. Slowing to an observing walk, Melly circled the tree, her curious red eyes skimming over the tree's thick roots for that red dot on her mental map. She almost circled the tree completely before she saw who it was that had intruded into this domain without consent.

He lay among the roots, his breathing deep and calm as he slept in the nestled warmth that was provided by his own body. He wore a yellow and black letterman jacket that had an insignia stitched over his left pectoral and deep burgundy red pants. Yellow, black, and white shoes that looked like they had teeth covered his feet as the heels dug into the loamy soil of the forest. His white hair was ruffled a bit with a few fallen leaves from the oak above him clinging to the shocking locks but otherwise held in place by a headband with patches stitched in it. One read SOUL and the other EAT.

Melly watched his sleeping face as he lay in the roots of her favorite tree and enjoyed her second viewing of this handsome boy who had wandered into her forest in the night. She had the urge to get closer to him and kneel beside his sleeping form. With light and hesitant steps, Melly approached Soul quietly so she wouldn't disturb his sleep just yet. His sleep was peaceful as his back leaned back into the oak so that he was in a sort of sitting position. Melly reached out and traced the line of his strong jaw, up his cheek and over his brow. She gently stroked a stray strand of white hair from his face and tucked it behind his ear in a soft caress.

Cupping his cheek in her hand, a blush bloomed across your nose as the weapon turned his face into your palm. The move was so innocently animal like that the young witch couldn't stop the smile that spread over her thin lips as she felt his warm breath tickle her wrist. She enjoyed the lone moment she could take at this time to show affection to someone other than Jim without the lingering consequence of being hunted.

The thought of the danger ruined her mood and she sighed with a forlorn air as her smile slipped from her face. When he woke up and saw her, he would know what she was, if Blair hadn't told him already, and the hunt would begin with her as the prey and he the predator. If he caught her, he would eat her soul and become a Death Scythe to be wielded by Shinigami.

Ending the moment of calm and peace, Melly leaned down and embraced the inevitable, putting her lips centimeters from his ear. "Wake up, Soul. It's time for you to go home," she whispered.

She leaned back then stood before trotting over to the other side of the path. The witch hopped up onto a thick tree root and watched from a distance as Soul awoke, opening his eyes with a fluttering slowness. He groggily sat up and looked around, trying to regain his bearings of where he was and what time it was. Then his gaze landed on the young girl standing across the dirt path from him. Her hood was, the black cloth covering her grayish hair from view and her dark red eyes peering at him from the shadows over her face. The black clothing was a large change from her more innocent clothing from the day before. Her slender arms were exposed, wearing a black vest with only a hood and zipper to accessorize the top, and she was barefoot now unlike yesterday when she had worn black flats. Her three-quarter length pants bunched up at mid-calf like her tights had done but were loose for extra movement. Her hands were clasped behind her back as she waited for the weapon to gather his wits.

He stared at the witch before him for a minute as he took in your changed appearance before he tried to speak. "Melly…" he started before the girl took off at a quick run through the trees.

She heard him quickly stand with a curse and run after her, his shoed feet thumping against the dark soil of the forest floor. He wasn't quiet and his pace, not used for running through a forest where roots could easily trip him up with his inexperience, gave away his position in the woods that were slowly lighting up as the morning sun broke through the canopy. Melly looked over her shoulder and smiled to see him trying to catch up to her quick and even pace as she hopped over roots, brooks, and large boulders.

They had been running for about ten minutes, traveling over a mile and a half before Melly jumped on top of a fallen log and landed gracefully. She stopped running and turned to see Soul catching up with panting breath. She smiled and waited for him to reach her area so that he could catch his breath before the next leg of his journey home.

When he caught up he leaned over and gasped for air, panting heavily with the strain on his lungs and muscles. He was bent at the waist, his hands gripping his knees with white knuckles as sweat dripped down his face. Melly allowed him the time he needed to catch his breath before turning to go the rest of the way, knowing he would follow but stopped when he called out to her.

"Wait!" he called. The girl paused, waiting for him to continue. "Melly! I know you're her! I know you're a witch!" he declared.

She turned back to look at him with narrowed red eyes. He stared back at her with a look that dared to say he was wrong about his declaration. Blair had ratted her out to him, no doubt. The silly cat didn't know when to keep her gossip mouth shut.

Sighing Melly turned and lifted her hands to her hood before pushing the cloth back and revealing herself to the weapon that could end her life if he wanted. She looked down at Soul, her grey-white hair and red eyes exposed. "Congratulations, Soul. You found a witch," she said with a false smile. She jumped down from the log and stood in front of him, feigning her fearless nature. "So? What's your next move?" she asked him.

It was quiet between the two teenagers as the girl waited for his response to her quest. While she waited for him to reply, she took in every observation about him that her mind could process in a short amount of time, knowing that was all the time allotted to her before he made his move against her, most likely to end her life.

He was half a foot taller than her five feet and four inches, making her feel feminine and short. He truly was handsome, the only blemish on his tanned face were the light circles under his eyes, as though he hadn't been getting much sleep in the last few days. This made her wonder what the cause was but pushed the thought aside for another time if she lived past this morning. Lying in the trees had given him an earthy smell. The light wind that swept through the trees brought his scent to her gently. He smelled like the leather of his jacket and the accompanying smell of nature from his night spent in the woods. She was sure that if she could get closer to him, she would also smell the warm male scent that was different with each guy. She knew Jim smelled like warm sandalwood and she was curious what Soul's unique scent would be.

Melly was so wrapped up in her thoughts of what Soul's scent could be that she didn't notice him moving until he had her by the wrists and pinned against a tree. His grip was strong but his hands were soft. His long fingers wrapped completely around her slender wrists. The features of his hands attributed to a pianists talent and a familiarity with the ebony and ivory keys under hand and his command. Melly stared at Soul with wide eyes. He had his head down so she couldn't see the expression on his face but the hold on your wrists was tight so she couldn't break free of his hold. But she didn't want to break free; she enjoyed the feeling of his musician hands wrapped around her fragile wrists even though she knew he could easily break her bones.

She waited for him to move or say something and the quiet of the forest lingered in between them. She didn't have to wait long as he began to growl at her.

"Why? Why won't you get out of my head?" he hissed through his teeth.

Melly was surprised at his question and stuttered out her reply. "I-I'm...in your head?" she asked.

He picked up his head up and glared at her with his beautiful red eyes. "Of course you are! You cast a freaking spell on me didn't you?"

Melly smiled as she realized he thought she was one of the few witches who seduced their victims to love them. The common people called them Succubus, for they had no real title like one of the many witches who controlled animals or elements. Melly smiled at him kindly as she explained to him the misunderstanding. "I haven't cast any spells lately. And my powers don't evolve spells of lust or love. I'm a hedge witch who uses music to make the plants grow," she said.

Soul's eyes had grown wide. "Music? Plants?" he asked.

Melly's smile grew wider as she nodded in reply. "I guess Blair didn't tell you what kind of witch I was," she said.

Soul shook his head, confirming Melly's guess.

"Anyways, I've never been hunted. Shinigami-sama actually commissioned me to stay out here to help the plants grow," Melly continued with an explanation for her presence in the forest.

"Shinigami-sama?" Soul asked surprised.

Melly nodded.

Soul sighed and let her go. Her arms dropped to her sides as he turned away and began walking away, making the bangles around her wrists chime. Soul stopped when he heard the bangles' suddel tinkle fill the clearing.

"You're a musician too, aren't you, Soul?" Melly asked as she walked past him so that she stood on a flat space of dirt and began to dance around the clearing. "Muse music musica muse," her slight hum accompanied the soft chime as Melly raised her hands above her head, crossing her wrists in a starting position, and bending her right leg at the kneed, balancing on the ball of her right foot as her left leg remained straight.

Slowly the plants around Melly and Soul began to glow and fill the air with a delicate sweet scent. Her movements flowed together smoothly as the dance embodied the element of water, allowing her limbs to flow like a gentle river or the small brooks that were spread throughout the forest. She moved like liquid but those same movements were fiery and enticing to the eye. She moved with a strength that embodied the earth under her feet but gracefully like the wind that brushed her skin like a delicate caress. The bangles on her wrists and ankles chimed a rhythmic tune with each practiced step, leap, or twirl.

Soul watched the performance, his eyes riveted to the dancer and entranced by her controlled yet beautiful movements. She ignored the attention he lavished on her and concentrated on the complex steps as she made sure to hit each note. Her style of music was one of the most difficult as it was controlled by her steps. One misplaced movement or falter would ruin the whole thing and the spell would crumble and die without completion. She didn't want the plants to suffer from her lax of abilities and so practiced the movements daily, making sure to hit each chime with her bracelets and anklets without missing a beat. It was an arduous process but the final performance always made it worth the taxing training.

Slowly, the spell came to an end and Melly stopped dancing with a balletic turn and the glow from the plants subsided into the normal shade of leafy green. She closed her eyes and breathed in the scent of the flowers that had been released during the dance along with the glow of magic.

Bad idea.

Soul pinned her against a tree again and did something beyond what she would have expected of him. Melly's eyes widened as he pressed his lips to hers with a gentle firmness that belied his earlier and harsher treatment of her. His lips were soft and warm as he compelled her lips to move with his in the kiss. His hands were again wrapped around her wrists and squeezed gently as the kiss slowed to a stop and he separated their lips, leaning his forehead against hers and looking at her with smoldering red eyes. "Stop teasing me," he hissed.

Melly nodded slowly, still caught in the euphoria of the shared kiss. She gradually started to calm down and smiled up at him.

"Eh? What are you smiling at?"Soul asked with a raised eyebrow.

Melly chuckled quietly under her breath before she answered his question. "That was my first kiss. Thank you for being the one to steal it," she said with a smile.

Soul took a step back in shock but Melly refused to let him get away and grabbed him by the front of his jacket pulling him back to her. She wrapped her arms around his waist and held on to him in a tight embrace. He was warm and she curled herself into the warmth like a cat after consuming a bowl of cream. Soul was stunned as the small witch snuggled her face into his chest and stayed like that.

Slowly, Soul wrapped his arms around her thin shoulders and held on to her. Melly smiled to herself and breathed in the warm male scent she had wondered about earlier. It was a rich lemon grass scent that tickled her nose with its enticing fragrance.

"Someday, Soul, I hope to hear one of your compositions," Melly mumbled into his chest.

Soul chuckled. "I'm not much, but I can play the piano," he said.

Melly giggled and lifted her head to look at him. She smiled and leaned forward to place a gentle kiss on his lips. Her arms moved on their own to place her hands upon his chest. Soul licked her bottom lip and she hesitated for only a second before she opened her mouth to him. He tasted sweet like chocolate but also minty. A moan bubbled from somewhere in her throat when Melly felt his hands move down your body and take hold of her waist. He leaned the witch back against the tree she had previously been pressed against and deepened the kiss to explore every crevice of her mouth, tasting Melly to the fullest extent.

They were just getting into it when the sound of someone clearing their throat interrupted the embrace. Melly looked up to see Jim standing a few feet away from their current position with his arms crossed over his chest.

"J-Jim!" Melly stuttered.

"Melly, the Reaper wants to see you," Jim said.

"Heh heh heh," the girl laughed hesitantly. "Alright, I'm coming."

Soul released her and looked over at Jim. "Who is he?" He asked.

"Oh! Soul this is Jim. He's my roommate and guardian and he acts like he's my big brother!" Melly said.

"Hmpf," Soul said and walked over to Jim, Melly prancing after him.

"I'll lead you out so you can go to school," Jim said.

Soul nodded and looked over at the girl he'd been kissing only a few seconds ago. "What are you going to do?" he asked.

"Eh? I have to go talk to Shinigami-sama," she said pointing to herself.

Soul nodded and Jim motioned for the boy to follow him but Soul refused to leave until Melly was gone.

Sighing Melly pulled her hood back on over her grey hair. "Well, let's get going then," she mumbled. Putting her fingers to her lips and whistled a sharp note and held her hand out, prepared to grab the broom that flew out of the trees.

Melly sat on the wood handle sideways, allowing her feet to dangle, as it began to rise. "I'll see you later, Soul~!" she called as the broom rose up into the air.

Soul watched Melly leave the clearing and disappear into the sky. When she was gone he turned back to the dark skinned man, Jim as Melly had called, who was glaring at the weapon with an annoyed look.

Soul twitched with unease at the stare being directed at him. "What?" he growled.

Jim stared at the boy without saying anything. The man was starting to unnerve Soul and make him weary of Melly's guardian. When he did finally speak, he spoke in a low growl, making sure his warning was delivered to the teenager. "If you hurt her, I won't hesitate to kill you," he cautioned.

Soul twitched some more as the black man turned around and began walking away through the woods.

Why would I hurt her? Soul thought to himself before following after Jim.

"What?" Melly asked after hearing the Shinigami's request. She currently stood in the Death Room in front of the cartoonish death god and his weapon Spirit Albarn. The raised platform was placed in the center of the large room, surrounded by a yellow floor, crosses sticking up from the ground, and blue walls that curved into a domed roof. The walls and ceiling were the most unnatural part of the room due to the occasional drifting cloud and random small windows. A path of guillotine arches led form the entrance of the room up to the short flight of stairs that were a part of the dais that the three conversing people stood upon.

"You heard him, Melly!" Spirit cheered.

Spirit was a kind man with shoulder length crimson red hair and bright blue eyes that were always very expressive. Melly looked to the man as she would her own father due to the circumstances of how they met. She loved him, but he did have his flaws, his main one being his lecherous attitude towards women over the age of twenty.

"B-but...I'm a witch! What if they attack me?" Melly asked with genuine worry.

"You can bring Jim-kun with you," Shinigami said, speaking as if that finalized the topic.

The young witch sighed, knowing there was no way for her to get out of this situation. "You're not gonna give this one up, are you?" she asked the ancient god.

"Nope!" Shinigami and Spirit said together.

Melly sighed and massaged her temples to relieve the ache growing there. Both men always gave her a headache, but they looked after her always so she owed them.

"Do I have to use Soul Protect?" the girl asked with trepidation.

"Not if you don't want to," Shinigami said.

"But there are some who can see souls," Spirit added.

Melly groaned. "Well it's too much of a hassle to use Soul Protect at my age. When do I start?" she said with a look that bordered on bored and annoyed.

"10 minutes," Shinigami and Spirit said together.

Melly glared openly at the two and heaved a sigh before turning to leave the room that consisted of the two most annoying beings in existence. As she walked down the guillotine hallway she contemplated ways of convince Jim to come along with her on the duty set to her by her benefactor. It would be extremely tough, because Jim disliked people in general.

The witch sighed as she left the Death Room, as it was affectionately called, and walked down the hallway to a room with a sign hanging over it saying Crescent Moon Room. Everyone was talking as the small witch walked into the room unnoticed and preceded to the front of the room and sat on top of the desk there. She watched the class for a moment, seeing if they would notice her presence. They were still talking, chattering excessively and with no end.

Sighing with a touch of annoyance, Melly sucked in a deep breath, feeling her lungs filled up with air, and released it all on a sharp note that caught everyone's attention. The students immediately quieted down and shut up. They looked down at the girl with curiosity and she glared back up at them, boredly leaning back with her arm supporting her light frame.

"Good evening," she started, "I am your new Witches Studies teacher, Melly."

It was quiet. The sound of a pen dropping could have been heard and the silence annoyed Melly even further than the rowdy noise. Then a girl with blonde pig-tails that Melly recognized as Spirit's daughter stood up and pointed and accusing finger down at the witch.

"What's a witch doing in Shibusen? And you're not even using Soul Protect either!" she said.

Melly yawned, her boredom becoming apparent to the rest of the class. "If you want to know why I'm here, go ask Shinigami. It was his idea. Also, I'm not using Soul Protect because it's too much of a hassle to hold long term when I don't even care if you know I'm here or not," she said, leaning forward, crossing her right leg over her left, and laying her arms over her crossed legs.

"But-" Maka Albarn was cut off by a knock on the door. Everyone's attention was riveted to the door as it opened to admit Soul and Jim into the classroom.

Soul hesitated for a moment when he noticed Melly sitting on the desk in front of a room full of Meister and Weapon students who would give anything to get a witch's soul. When he regained from shock, he ran over to the young girl with quick and determined strides. Jim followed after him and took up a position behind Melly's desk, his eyes flickering over all the students in the room.

"Melly! What are you doing here? Don't you know how many people are here that can see souls? How many of them would give their lives to get a witch soul?" he hissed at her.

She looked at him with a bored expression before explaining her presence in the school. "Shinigami assigned me as the new teacher for Witches Studies," she said, her bored expression deepening.

"He did?" Soul asked.

"Soul!" Maka yelled from her seat. Soul flinched at the anger in her voice. "Get away from her!" the young meister ordered. The entire class held a collective breath as they waited to see the next move that was to be made. The young teacher was beginning to understand Jim's dislike of people as the day wore on.

Melly heaved another sigh, guessing that Soul was Maka's weapon. Just. Her. Luck. Shinigami owed her big time for this one.

"Maka Albarn!" the witch called out. She looked at Melly with a frown and an angry glare. "If you have a problem with me as your teacher, even though I'm doing this as a favor, please go to the Death Room and speak to Shinigami-sama and your father." She glared at Maka before turning a smile to Soul. "Soul, please go take your seat."

He nodded slowly, and then trudged up the stairs to sit beside his fuming meister. Their relationship, whatever its position, would be difficult if Maka didn't get over her hatred of Melly.

Sighing, with Jim standing guard at her back, Melly began the lesson she had been assigned to teach.

"Alright, class," she started, "I'm going to explain three ways to tell if a witch is using Soul Protect without having to be able to see souls."

The witch teacher proceeded to go into her lecture about how to tell a witch from normal humans without the abilities possessed by special cases such as Maka Albarn or Doctor Franken Stein. After the class, Melly was getting ready to leave with Jim (they needed to go talk to Shinigami about new textbooks) when Soul came up to her. She waited until the rest of the students left before sending Jim out of the room so that the two teenagers could have a moment of privacy.

When the door closed behind her friend, Melly looked at the Demon Scythe with a smile. He then surprised her by reaching out, grabbing her wrist, and pulling the girl tight against him. He wrapped his arms around her and ran his hands through her hair, in an effort to calm himself, she assumed. Melly closed her eyes and breathed in his scent as he held her. He still smelled like the woods. Melly wrapped her arms around him and hugged him back, silently giving him more comfort with her presence.

"It freaked me out when I saw you in here," he said.

Melly laughed, leaning back to look at him and smiling at how much he genuinely cared for her. "I'm sorry if I scared you," she said. He shrugged and leaned in to kiss his witch gently. The kiss was sweet and innocent, like the first kiss that Soul had stolen from her, but Melly pressed into it, wanting more than the soft graze of skin, but he pulled back, breaking away with a declaration of being unable to fool around at the moment. Melly pouted at him and he chuckled to himself before pressing a final kiss to her lips and pulling away.


-Succubus is a demon in female form, said to have sexual intercourse with men in their sleep. A prostitute is also considered to be a succubus. There is no accurate definition for a witch who performs love spells so I used a succubus as a way of defining a witch who used love magic to make men fall in love with her and do her bidding.